Crime And Punishment
by MarineroLelouch
Summary: He could feel the lights going out and the sound of the sin's he had committed echoing through his head. He's a man haunted by ghosts who did something unforgivable. But maybe,he has one final chance to do what's right? One-Shot. Entry for Fairy Tail Novice Writing Challenge 2.


**Entry for the Fairy Tail Novice Writing Challenge #2 **

**Crime And Punishment-**

**This is a One-Shot I wrote for OrbitingArbiter's Challenge.**

**It's about Jellal and the period between Tower of Heaven and Oracion Seis Arc. It was stated by Brain and Jellal himself that he could hear what was happening around him when he was in a coma because of Etherion. So,I had the idea of writing what happened.**

**Hope you like it :D**

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"THEN FREE YOURSELF FIRST,JELLAL!" Natsu yelled before he punched and sent Jellal crushing down towards the tower.

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"What are you doing,Erza?" The newly awakened Jellal heard the last voice he had heard before his vision went to pitch black.

"Natsu?" Another voice responded in shock.

**"Where am I? My body won't move." **Jellal thought to himself.

"Erza... You're putting yourself into the lacrima?" Natsu asked in surprise.

"It's the only way to stop Etherion." Erza replied.

"**Erza... Etherion is gonna destroy everything. So,you're sacrificing yourself to protect your friends."**Jellal thought as a wave of pain echoed throughout his body. A piece of lacrima above him came crashing down and exploded a few feet away from him.

Jellal closed his eyes so the pieces of glass wouldn't get through his eyes.

"Stop Etherion?" Natsu asked in surprise,then a huge chunk of the tower shook.

"Yes. Look around you. This tower will shortly explode as Etherion goes out of control." Erza said.

**"And all of us will die. And what for? I failed in resurrecting Zeref,now I'll be destroyed by the Etherion. Then for whose sake did I do all this?" **Jellal thought as a tear dropped from his eye.

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Then it all came back to him.

_"__"Erza... Freedom is not a thing that exists in this world."_ Jellal said before banishing Erza from the tower.

"**Damn!" **Jellal thought as the tears started falling from his eyelid.

_"That's your precious "freedom"! Go on and live while carrying the lives of your friends upon your back, Erza!" _He yelled before going towards the ships that Sho and the others have hijacked.

"_Where is Nee-san?" _Sho asked,without realizing the shadow watching them from afar.

Then he unleashed the magic he got from Zeref.

He heard them scream,fall from the boats and ships.

_"Who is doing it?" _Simon yelled while holding his injured arm.

_"The ships are..." _Milliana said before another explosion threw her into the water.

Then a wicked grin appeared on the shadows face. He knew it was time.

_"Everyone!" _He yelled,faking a panicked voice.

_"Jellal! You were alright? Where is Erza?" _Simon asked in worry.

_"She took off. She destroyed the ships,then took off!" _Jellal yelled in fear before he dropped to his knees.

Simon grabbed him from the collar in anger.

_"What the hell are you talking about? Erza wouldn't do something like that!" _Simon yelled in Jellal's mind.

**"Simon..." **Jellal thought as a hand grabbed his heart from the inside and ripped it out.

_"I'm glad... that I could be... of help... to you... at l-last."_ Simon mumbled as he was spatting blood.

"**You... Always loved Erza. And you choose to sacrifice yourself for her,even at the last second. And I... I killed you." **Jellal thought as the thought began to spread in his mind.

"**AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! "**Jellal yelled in his mind. He didn't have the strength to open his mouth nor to stand up.

_"AHHHHHHHHH!" _Erza yelled as she was holding Simon's dead body.

_"Hahahahahah! How pointless. How incredibly pointless! That's what they call throwing your life away,Simon." _Jellal yelled with an evil laugh towards the dead Simon.

_"Jellal Fernandes." _The small boy with the blue hair smiled and held out his hand.

_"Simon... Simon Mikazuchi." _The brown haired boy reached out and took his hand.

_"Damn. I can't get it off." _Jellal mumbled as he was trying to pull the shrapnel out of his back.

A hand grabbed it from behind and pulled it out.

_"Are you okay?" _Simon asked in a worry.

_"Y-Yeah. Thank you." _Jellal replied with a smile.

"_Don't mention it. That's what friends are for."_ Simon said with a bright smile.

"**Friends... You called me your friend and in return I..." **Jellal thought before he coughed to the lacrima beneath him.

**"I betrayed you. I destroyed your freedom,tricked you into working for me. I drove away the person who you love most in the world and now I... killed you." **Jellal thought in agony as he was crying against the lacrima.

"**Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill." **The word echoed in his mind.

_"Simon!_" Erza yelled in sadness as he was passing away.

_"I always... loved... you." _Simon spoke his last words while he was in her arms.

**"Killed,betrayed and forced to drove people apart. I am a monster!" **Jellal realized in agony as the tower's left side was completely collapsing.

"**And now,I shall die in the same cursed place I belong to." **Jellal decided as he closed his eyes waiting for the tower to collapse.

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"ERZA!" Jellal's eyes opened once again.

"GET OUT OF THERE,ERZA!" Natsu yelled once again.

**"She fused with the Etherion... That will kill her!"**Jellal thought as a final pulse started beating at his heart.

"E-Erza." He silently muttered as he tried to stand up.

"AHHHHH!" He gasped in pain before he raised his head to face Erza. But only saw the pink haired Dragon Slayer.

"ERZA!" Natsu yelled. He didn't realize that Jellal had woken up. He then did the unimaginable and put his hand to the lacrima and he slipped inside it.

"**He's trying to save Erza. I-I... I have to help him." **Jellal decided before he made a painful move and stood on his knees.

"**Damn! My body is still numb. I can't even stand straight." **Jellal thought in frustration.

He grabbed the piece of lacrima closest to him and slipped through.

He could feel the ethernano around him. It was as if he was swimming in a pool of magical power.

He swam and swam and feel his body exhaust. He was half-conscious at this point.

"**I have to save them!"** Jellal thought as he started losing control of his legs as they became numb due to exhaustion and the magic power pressuring him.

"Damn!" Jellal yelled as he stopped moving.

_"I'm Erza." _The scarlet haired girl said with a weary smile.

"MOVE!" Jellal yelled before he punched his other arm and legs.

_"Just plain Erza." _Her smile became sadder.

"Move,dammit!" Jellal said in anger.

_"Scarlet... Erza Scarlet." _The young girl stroke her own hair with a bright smile.

**"**I won't let it happen! MOVE!" Jellal yelled as he finally started to move.

He thought about what he was gonna do.

**"You hate me. I drove you away from your friends."**Jellal thought in pain as a tear rolled from his eye.

**"Made them believe you betrayed them." **He thought as the tear drop turned into crystal in the Etherion.

**"And I... Killed Simon."** Jellal thought in agony as he desperately tried to struggle through the Etherion.

**"BUT..."**Jellal decided.

_"Free yourself first,Jellal!"_ The pink haired Dragon Slayer yelled before punching him with all his might.

**"I will. I will free myself and you... You will be free of Jellal,Erza!" **Jellal resolved as he made his way around Etherion.

He saw two silhouette heading towards the core of the power.

The one on the back was trying to push it's way towards the other.

**"Natsu..."**Jellal realized.

Natsu and Erza were almost in the core.

Jellal thought back to the time he was researching the R-System.

"_The basic layout is made of three layers. The outer layer,the lacrima. The inside layer's surrounding." _Ultear explained.

_"And what's on the third layer?" _Jellal asked,causing Ultear to smirk.

**"I mustn't let them reach the core." **Jellal thought as he lost sense in his left leg.

_"The core. The sacrifice to your ambition will be held in here. Disintegrated and be used to conjure Zeref's body,Jellal-Sama..." _Ultear smirked.

**"I mustn't let them!" **Jellal thought as he started to gather the magic left in his veins and his body.

_"But,how will the control work? Does the sacrifice in the core have any authority over Etherion?" _Jellal asked,not wanting Erza to interfere and disrupt his plans.

_"If there isn't another outer control source managing from the first layer,yes." _Ultear replied.

**"I can't reach in time. Both of them will die. And their comrades and Sho and Wally and Milliana." **Jellal realized in pain.

But then a thought came to his mind.

_"What if there isn't anyone controlling from the outside? What happens then?" _Jellal asked with curiosity.

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**"Erza... I'm sorry."**

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**"** _Then logically,whoever's closest to the core should gain complete control over it." _ Ultear finished with a serious face.

"METEOR!" Jellal yelled and flew away with the golden light surrounding him.

He reached the blue,circle shaped core before Erza could reach it and let himself be bathed with with the Ethernano and he lost control of his limbs as he placed himself in the core.

Natsu was still trying to reach Erza.

Jellal could feel the magic power resonating around him. He had complete control over Etherion. He stopped the energy flow around Erza and pushed her towards Natsu.

Natsu caught her from the wrist but couldn't maintain his balance while holding onto her.

**"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!**"Jellal mentally yelled as he pushed them to the surface with the little energy he had.

**"GO ERZA! Live... Live,laugh,make friends... Do everything that you couldn't do for the past 8 years because of me. I'm really sorry. I will always..." **Jellal thought as a glowing blue light appeared on his right arm and shoulder.

"AHHHHHHHH!"He yelled as he gave a last push and threw Erza and Natsu off of the Etherion and the Lacrima surrounding it.

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**"I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU!"** Jellal thought as he directed his arm towards the distant sky and let the magic power out.

The glowing magic veins started to appear at his body as he lost his sense of smell,sight and taste one by one.

It was pitch black again.

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Jellal opened his eyes but it was all cloudy.

He could not see or hear anything properly. There was nothing but a swooshing sound covering his ears.

**"Am I dead?" **Jellal thought.

**"This is not heaven,nor does it seem like hell. Is it really death?"** Jellal thought then his sight became more clear.

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He saw four silhouettes standing on a beach. He could only see a blur of them and only a whisper of their voices.

But he recognized the hair color of one of the silhouettes instantly.

"It may not be the freedom you were searching for..." The scarlet haired blur said towards the others.

"Oh yeah,Salamander said the exact same thing!" A familiar voice replied.

"It's the most awesome guild,myaw!" Another familiar voice yelled in excitement.

Jellal realized who they were and a bright smile spread throughout his face.

"Besides,I would love to be able to stay with you three all the time." Erza replied with a kind voice.

She then grabbed the other two's back.

"Come,let's head back."She suggested.

"I've got to introduce you all to Natsu." She said with a soft voice and they started walking away.

**"Always so kind and strong."** Jellal thought. He had the feeling he managed to do one right thing at the end,even though all the mistakes he made in the past.

He knew he was probably dead and that she couldn't hear him.

Even though he knew...

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"You've grown stronger,Erza." Jellal whispered with a bright smile before he lost his sight again.

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"JELLAL?" Erza turned back in shock but all she could feel was the wind on her face.

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**Hope you guys liked it :D This is for a one-shot contest by OrbitingAiter.**

Review,Favorite and Follow if you could please :D


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